The recent October 26 deadline for releasing 50-year-old JFK-assassination records of the CIA and other federal agencies provided an opportunity for people to promote their favorite JFK assassination theories. The Russians did it. Fidel Castro did it. The U.S. national-security establishment did it. The Mafia did it. A lone nut named Lee Harvey Oswald did it.

The reaction among some people was predictable: "Oh, there are so many JFK assassination theories that I guess we'll never know what really happened." Or "It's all so overwhelming and I just don't want to be pulled into the rabbit hole."

Actually, however, understanding the various conspiracy and non-conspiracy theories in the JFK assassination is really not that difficult. All it takes is some critical thinking, analysis, and common sense.

There are three major conspiracy theories and one non-conspiracy theory (i.e., the lone-nut theory). Let's examine each one. I believe you'll see why the matter isn't as difficult as mainstream writers and commentators make it out to be.

JFK Assassination Theory One

The Russian (i.e., Soviets) and Cuban Communists,
in a Conspiracy with Lee Harvey Oswald, Did It.

The basic idea here is that Lee Harvey Oswald, a purported communist, got together with the Russian and Cuban governments, which were communist, and assassinated Kennedy.

We saw this theory recently resurface in the mainstream press when President Trump, on the very October 26 deadline for releasing those long-secret records, decided to let the CIA continue keeping its records relating to Oswald's trip to Mexico City secret from the American people. Proponents of this particular conspiracy theory said, "Oh what a shame! We could have learned more details about how Oswald conspired with the Russians and Cubans to assassinate Kennedy."

It is easy to establish the fallaciousness of this particular conspiracy theory.

First, no motive. Neither the Russians nor the Cubans had any motive to kill Kennedy. In fact, their desire was the exact opposite. They wanted Kennedy to live out his term and even be reelected. The last thing they wanted was for Kennedy to die in office and be replaced by Lyndon Johnson or be defeated in the 1964 election by Republican Barry Goldwater.